---
name: "SDL_SetWindowKeyboardGrab"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libsdl3-doc"
version: "3.2.10+ds-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/SDL_SetWindowKeyboardGrab"
---

# SDL\_SetWindowKeyboardGrab(3)

Set a window's keyboard grab mode.

## NAME

SDL\_SetWindowKeyboardGrab - Set a window's keyboard grab mode.

## HEADER FILE

Defined in SDL3/SDL\_video.h

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include "SDL3/SDL.h"
```

**bool SDL\_SetWindowKeyboardGrab(SDL\_Window \*window, bool grabbed);**

## DESCRIPTION

Keyboard grab enables capture of system keyboard shortcuts like Alt+Tab or the Meta/Super key. Note that not all system keyboard shortcuts can be captured by applications (one example is Ctrl+Alt+Del on Windows).

This is primarily intended for specialized applications such as VNC clients or VM frontends. Normal games should not use keyboard grab.

When keyboard grab is enabled, SDL will continue to handle Alt+Tab when the window is full-screen to ensure the user is not trapped in your application. If you have a custom keyboard shortcut to exit fullscreen mode, you may suppress this behavior with

**SDL\_HINT\_ALLOW\_ALT\_TAB\_WHILE\_GRABBED** .

If the caller enables a grab while another window is currently grabbed, the other window loses its grab in favor of the caller's window.

## FUNCTION PARAMETERS

- *window*

  the window for which the keyboard grab mode should be set.

- *grabbed*

  this is true to grab keyboard, and false to release.

## RETURN VALUE

Returns true on success or false on failure; call

**SDL\_GetError** () for more information.

## THREAD SAFETY

This function should only be called on the main thread.

## AVAILABILITY

This function is available since SDL 3.2.0.

## SEE ALSO

**•**(3), [**SDL\_GetWindowKeyboardGrab**(3)](/SDL_GetWindowKeyboardGrab/3.md), **•**(3), [**SDL\_SetWindowMouseGrab**(3)](/SDL_SetWindowMouseGrab/3.md)